Page 14 of Bound in Paradise


Font Size:

He just hoped he could stick to that decision, because goddamn, the woman tempted him beyond all reason. Even when she was sending him very clear ’fuck off’ vibes.

A knock at the door startled him from his brooding. "Come in," he called, turning from the window.

The door opened to reveal Dani herself, looking composed but wary. Fuck, she was beautiful with the glossy black hair and fathomless dark eyes of her Italian heritage. "I thought we should go over the specifics of the mainframe upgrade, so I understand it fully,” she said, her tone cool and professional. "I've scheduled a meeting with the IT team for tomorrow morning, but I wanted to touch base with you first."

Zack nodded, grateful for the distraction from his thoughts, even though her attention to detail left him with a conundrum. Why hadn’t he considered how detail-oriented Dani was. He should have known it would never have been as easy as just spinning her a line and Dani accepting it.

"Of course. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chair across from his desk, trying not to notice how gracefully she moved as she sat down. She was slimmer than she used to be, but still delectably curvy. And all business.

"I've prepared a preliminary outline of the system requirements," Dani continued, pulling a tablet from her bag. "I'd like you to review it and let me know if there are any areas we've overlooked.”

As she spoke, Zack couldn't help but marvel at her composure. If he didn't know better, he'd think their past had never happened. But there was a stiffness in her shoulders, a tightness around her eyes that betrayed her discomfort.

"I appreciate your thoroughness," he said, accepting the tablet. Their fingers brushed for the briefest moment, and he felt an electric jolt at the contact. Dani jerked her hand back as if burned.

"It's my job," she replied curtly. "The resort's security is paramount during any system upgrade." She paused, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face.

Zack met her gaze steadily. "Of course. There won’t be any weak points during the swap over. Client privacy will always be my top priority." He hesitated, then added softly, "You know that, Dani."

Her eyes flashed with a mix of emotions - anger, pain, and something that looked suspiciously like longing. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by her professional mask. "I know nothing of the sort," she said coolly. “And while our past association is irrelevant to this project, the one thing it taughtme was caution where you’re concerned. We have very different ideas of what is pertinent information.”

The words stung. More than stung. They were like tiny daggers digging in just where it hurt most, but Zack couldn't deny their truth. He had no right to expect anything from her, not after how things had ended. "You're right," he conceded. "I apologies for the inappropriate comment. It won't happen again."

Dani nodded stiffly, but Zack noticed her hands trembling slightly as she reached for her tablet. "Good. Now, regarding the firewall upgrades..."

As she launched into the technical details, Zack found himself only half-listening. He was acutely aware of every subtle shift in her posture, every flicker of emotion that crossed her face. Despite her attempts at detachment, he could sense the underlying tension between them. It was a living, breathing thing, filling the air with an almost palpable electricity.

As Dani delved into the intricacies of data encryption protocols, Zack found his mind wandering to less professional territory. He couldn't help but remember the way she used to look at him during a scene - eyes dark with desire, body trembling with anticipation. The contrast between that passionate woman and the coolly efficient administrator before him now was stark.

"Are you even listening?" Dani's sharp tone snapped him back to the present.

"Of course," Zack replied smoothly, though he felt a flush of guilt at being caught daydreaming. "I was just considering the potential vulnerabilities in the current system so I can evaluate them effectively.”

Dani's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying his excuse. "This isn't a game, Zack. If Luca is to be believed, the safety andprivacy of our guests depend on this upgrade, although I personally have never felt there was a problem."

"I'm well aware of that," he responded, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. He didn’t like the way she’d posed that last statement. Like maybe she didn’t completely believe the line her cousin had weaved. And why should she? She knew this system inside out. Like she said, if there was an issue, she’d be the first to know. Not Luca. And while the two of them had the best intentions to safeguard Saul, his presence was a need-to-know basis only. And Dani didn’t need to know.

But jeez, she really was going to kill him if she ever found out this upgrade was all a ruse. And from how engaged she was with the procedure, he knew he was going to have to come up with something to satisfy her on that score. Thank fuck he had access to some state-of-the-art systems. He hadn’t planned to use them here, but it was the only way he’d get through this without her eviscerating him.

And if he was completely honest, Zack didn’t think he could stomach Dani looking at him again with the same disappointment, disgust, and heartbreak as she had during their last encounter at Club Risqué.

8

She couldn’t do this. That was the first thing Dani thought the following morning as she caught sight of Zack working conscientiously, while she waited on the remaining staff to arrive for the meeting she’d insisted on.

Why in the name of all things holy, did Zack still have such an effect on her? Four years and a boatload of betrayal surely should have crushed those first delicate sprouts of love she’d felt for him back then.

They hadn’t been nurtured or enriched. In fact, they’d been brutally beaten down with the back of the spade of deceit and trampled under the boots of disillusionment before being left to rot from neglect. So how the hell could there still be even the remotest kernel of attraction waiting to germinate into something more?

She didn’t want this. Maybe she should just cancel the meeting and take some time off.

Yeah. She was due a shitload of vacation time. She should just leave Natalie in charge and go… do… something.

But if she really felt that way, then why the hell was there a part of her that wanted to completely immerse herself in Zack for as long as she possibly could?

Sex, she reminded herself. “And you’ve obviously got a humiliation kink you never knew about,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” her cousin asked, sauntering into her office.